Life Changer for Children is a community sponsorship program to help children and their families enjoy a healthier, safer, and brighter future. We seek out the children and communities most impacted by inequality and discrimination. Harnessing the spirit of bayanihan or community spirit, we co-design and implement solutions for children and with children to help address the needs on education, health and protection of children in Iligan and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao, Philippines.
Lanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ranks the poorest among the poor in the Philippines. 4 out of 10 people are not able to meet their daily food needs thus children suffer from malnourishment. 3 out of 10 children have no access to clean water and 60% of households do not have toilets; open defecation is a wide practice in many communities. 500,000 children are not in school as 44% of the Bangsamoro communities still do not have schools or learning centers.
Save the Children is implementing a co-designed and appropriate education, protection, health and nutrition approaches with the children and community partners. We facilitate community-led solutions to address hunger and poverty through eg community kitchen/food bank/child-sensitive livelihood. We are provide culturally appropriate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities for the whole community.
Life Changer for Children follows a child-centered co-design process in seeking durable and sustainable solutions. These solutions are identified and managed by our partner communities including children. We will link sponsored communities with national government entities and work with these communities to improve their capacity to optimize the support of local government units.
